Railway-road-bed construction.



i. D. NEGUS.

RAlLWAY ROAD BED CONSTRUCTION.

-APPLICATIN FILED ).ULY i8. i911-` l,262,548 Patented Apr. 9, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l -l p" (L I) www wow 1 n NEGUS v RAILWAY ROAD BED CONSTRUCTION.APPLICATION FILED JULY I8. |911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

@Nl E E FFC.

JAMES D. NEGUS, OF DOUGLAS, WYOMING.

RAILWAY-ROAD-BED CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed July 18, 1917. Serial No. 181,328.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I,- JAMES DELos NEGUS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Douglas, in the county of Converse and State vof Wyoming,have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Road-BedConstruction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n the construction of railwayroad beds, the object of the invention being to provide a road bedhaving a water proof covering for the surface of the bed proper, as wellas the major portions of the ties, together with all embankments,excavations, drainage ditches, ctc., alongside the road bed, and whichwater-proof covering will be so constructed as to facilitate't-hedrainage off of the water,

thereby keeping the road bed continually dry and diminishing the rustingof the rails and other metallic parts of the road structure, and at thesame time preventing rotting of the ties and the undermining orloosening of the soil from the action of water and the results incidentthereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a road bed structurewhich will reduce the cost of repairs and 11p-keep of the tracks, etc.,will maintain the alinement of the rails and the established grade toprevent derailments and other accidents, which will reduce the amount ofdust deposited and set into motion by the travel of a passing train,which will prevent the growth of grass, weeds, etc., 1n the road bed,which will obviate liability of danger of ire reaching and attacking theties and which will insure greater resiliency of the rails vand greatercomfort in travel thereover, with a inal gain in the cost ofconstruction and maintenance of the road bed and track notwithstandingany primary increased cost under some conditions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure l is a top plan view of a sectionof a. railway road bed and track embodying the principles of myinvention. Y

Fig. 2 1s a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally between thetrack rails as indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on a plane between ties,as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l, takenon the line of one of the ties. y

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the 'earth base or otherfoundation, 2 the ties and 3 the track rails of the road bed and trackconstruction, the rails being secured to the ties in the ordinary or anypreferred manner, as byv the use of spikes or other similar fastenings4.

The ties 2, which may be .of woodor metal, but preferably of wood, areembedded in the foundation l up to a point adjacent to the tops of theties, the latter projecting just sufficiently above the general line ofthe surface of the trackway to support the rails in a sufficientlyelevated position. As shown, the entire road bed, consisting of thesurface of the foundation lbetween the rails and ties and laterallybeyond the same to the base of the embankment forming the road bed isprovided with a cove-ring 5 of waterproof material. This covering 5 ispref erably and ordinarily from one to two inches in depth and consistsof a fine concrete cement, composed of one part of good hydraulic cementand three parts of good silica sand or cement applied and compacted bythe use of an ordinary cement gun or in any suitable manner. This layerof concrete covers the surface of the earth throughout the entire areaof the droad` bed and the sides of the ties up to the level of therails, thus preventing the water from reaching the sides of the ties androttingthe same. The water-proof surface also prevents the rain or otherwater from reaching any part of the road bed, thus preventing' the earthfromA becoming loosened and so tened up, or of being washed away orundermined in any manner, whereby a solid and compact roadway will atall times be secured. i

For the purpose of protecting the tops of the ties and sealing theopenings formed by the rail spikes or fastenings, the exposed surfacesof the ties may be coated with tar, pitch or any ,other suitable likewaterproofing coating, which may be fired in about the spikes to preventthe entrance of moisture to incas/is tially independent of the coveringYbetween the ties, and the latter are permitted to vibrate on the softearth bed irovidino' necesa i-l sary resiliency and preventing fractureof the covering. rl e latter, being formed of'y concrete, of coursemaintains aliard surfaceat all times, and if this covering werecontinuous it heavy enough would destroy all resiliency.

ln practice, a strip of sheet metal may be temporarily placed inposition ior forming the abrupt edge portions of the covering ot' theties..

The bed being thoroughly protected, it maintains its original conditionindefinitely, the ballast, bed, and covering cooperating in theproduction of an ideal track construction. Furthermore, the creepingv ofthe tie-s is prevented by the bracing effect of the concrete betweenties.

ln addition to the use of' a watenproofcovering for the road bed, thesurface of the bed is constructed in a novel manner. is shown, thespaces between 'the ties and from the center of the track bedto the endsof the ties is given a compound. slope in order to facilitatev andsecure the` rapid and free drainage on? oi!l all rein water or otherdeposited moisture. To this end the portion of the lower bed between theadjacent ties? slopes from the inner sides olf the ties, as indicated at6 downwardly and inwardly to a point about centrally between the tiesasindicated yat Z whereby the sloping surfaces meet each other in the formcfa depression. From the longitudinal center et the space betweenacentties, however, the'surfaces e slope downwardly and outwardly 'frenia point about level. with the tops or the ties. `to a gradegustabovelthebottom surfaces of the ties, as indicated in Fig. 3, fromwhich point the sides` of the embankment forming the bed extendoutwardly and' downwardly inthe form ofsloping drainage surfaces 9,whereby the rain; or other water is carried olf for disposal. 1t will,thus-be seen that the surfaces of the. r oad. way between ties slopefrom a centralpoint downwardly and, inwardly between the ties anddownwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center of the Spacebetween the ties, so that all moisture will be cons ducted away fromthesidesoi the ties and in 1 an .outward and downward direction, thuskeeping the ties and surrounding, surfaces a section on theiline wouldeither be fractured or iff at all times free from moisture. Vl`he rails3 are also held supported above the level of the road bed and arethereby also protected from. moisture, except as to the amount depositeddirectlyV thereon during a rain or through the melt-ing of' the limitedamount of' snow which can fall thereon, or which may be depositedthereon naturally in the forniof dew., with a result that the metallicparts of the trackway will be much less subject to rust than therailsoftrackl; structuresof the ordinary ty ie. lt will be observed that onaccount or'Y the solidity off the road bed theuse of rcck` or otherballast is entirely unnecessary, the tiesbeing embedded; in the relativesoft earth or'otherma.- terial andl thus allowed? to have a much greaterresiliency or cushioning actionlthan would otherwise-be possible.Furthermore asthe greundis protected from Vthe soaking; effects or"watersinceall water will be immediately carried. oi'i'V and preventedfrom` accumulating, it will be evident thatthe road bed will be-at alltimes kept drv solid.

.m and firm. and sponginess. or looseningv-ofv the earth with, liabilityof the undermining o'f the track andl spreading of the rails entirelyobviated.k The ties will alsobe efectuallyprotected andprevented fromdecaying,thus adding te the preservative integrity of the trackvstructure as a whole.k @ther advantages are, that 'frequent criticalvinspection ofthe track isnot necessary, and hence that then-timber oftrack walkersand. section repair men may berreduced, that asiall dustland deposits are washed away by the rain water the` raisingof. dust orgrit by the passage of the rollingV stock, with attendant inconveniencesand disadvantages, will,l bey wholly overcome. rlllhe parts of the trackwill also be kept on perfect grade and in perfect alinement, and thusminimize-dangeroit derailments, accidents, etc-while the cost oitmaintaining the tracks and rolling,` stock in repair will be materiallyreduced.v Also there will-be less jar and vibration incident to themovement of the rollin j stock, and theli'fe Voit the rails will begreatly prolonged because of' the presenceof a continuouslydry road bed,and grass, weeds and like` vegetable. mattery yfill be'prevented fromgrowing Vbetween rails, and danger of theties catch,-

ing fire from cinders will-be entirely obviated, allof which will beappreciated by those versed in the art.` Zll'iesey and' other advantagesare obtained by theuseofmy improved road bed which will, within abr-iet-y time after cobstruction,` reducey the general"-x cost oiconstruction and maintenance, owingy tothe perfect condition in whichthe bed and` tracks remain and the` reductionV ot"v re-` pairs to theminimum;

l claim:-A

l'.` ln a railway road` bed and trackcon' struction, the-'combination ofa bed of; earthor the like, ties and track rails laid thereon, and acovering of water-proof material including cement as an ingredient overthe surface of the bed between and beyond the ties and rails and overthe major portionsl or the like, ties and track rails laid thereon, anda covering of a water-proof material including cement as an ingredientfor the surface of the bed between and beyond the ties and rails andproviding a substantially continuous covering for the bed and the ties,the vibratory movement of the ties being independent of the coveringbetween the ties, said covering sloping outwardly and downwardly beyondthe sides of the rails and being at the highest level on a longitudinalline centrally between the track rails and ties and thence sloping fromthe ties downwardly and inwardly and also downwardly and outwardlybeyond the ends of the ties.

3. In a railway bed and track construction, the combination of a bed ofearth or the like, ties sunk into the bed to points just below the topsurfaces thereof, said bed having outwardly and downwardly slopingsurfaces beyond the sides of the rails and between adjacent sides of theties, and having sloping surfaces between the longitudinal center of theroad bed and the lateral sides thereof from the center of the road bedoutwardly.

4. In a railway bed and track construction, a bed of soft earth, tiesembedded therein at their central portion and having their endspartially projecting above the surface, and a covering of which ce-vment forms an ingredient, presenting a permanent hard surface and laidin sections above the ties and bed, the surface being inclined in twodirections with reference to the ties, and said 'sectional coveringpermitting vibratory movement of the ties on the bed without fracturingthe covering.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES D. N EGUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C.

